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History of vintage clothes

We also offer a selection of vintage knitwear. To get you in the mood, here’s your guide to vintage clothes and fashion over the decades. From the 20’s to 80’s and how to perfect those looks yourself.

1920s

With the arrival of the ‘jazz age’, flappers and prohibition, women’s skirts rose to the knees, the hair was cut into a bob, women smoked and drank in public and stood up to the rigid social status that the start of the century had brought.

1930s

These were depression years. With the majority of people poor and unemployed, no-one had much money to spend on things like clothes and shoes.

Women entered the workforce, tight skirts with a daring slit in the side or along the back seam. Jackets would be fitted more tightly with shoulder pads to accentuate the commanding force women required to gain a hold in the man’s world of work.

1940s

Hats of every shape and size were in vogue. Shoulder pads were wide and pointy. Some favourite items were alligator accessories, platform shoes, and marten stoles. Styles were simple due to wartime restrictions. There are many pre- and post- war style vintage clothes shops and army surplus shops.

1950s

In the fifties came teenage rebellion. Girls’ dresses fluffed out with petticoats and crinolines worn under the skirt. On these outlines, women wore a trim bodice and very full knee-length skirt. The 50’s is a popular look, and vintage clothes fairs are a great place to start. James Dean motorcycle gang look vintage clothes for men.

1960s

Both men and women wore tight-fitting Levis bell-bottoms that flared wide at the knee in the sixties, as well as elaborations like patches, drawings and fabrics. The women wore loose-fitting blouses of cotton, often patterned with ornate designs as well as floral loose dresses. These were called ‘peasant blouses.’

1970s

The seventies was the disco era. Disco wasn’t just a form of music but a way of life. The men still wore bell bottoms but the material of the decade was polyester, acrylic and lycra. Women’s dresses were ruffled and loose, usually stopping at the knee. Again look online for vintage clothes shops. The 70’s is another popular look.

1980s

The eighties brought two very different styles in. Women’s business suits had broader shoulders, with the help of shoulder pads. The suits resembled those of the thirties except with much brighter colors like blues, yellows and pinks.

The second vintage clothing fashion was exercise. It became a big deal in the eighties and exercise clothes became bright and worn casually. Charity shops are a great place to look for 80’s vintage clothes, the many vintage clothes shops are a great place as well.